February 01, 2006

Why Aren't They Stars?

A famous actress once said that if you can play older when you're young, then you'll work forever. The thought was people would never know how old you really were and would have trouble figuring it out, so you could, basically, hit all the various age ranges. Look at Glenn Close, at 35 she played Robin Williams mother in The World According To Garp and she's still going strong.

I would think the same must be true the other way around. That is if you can play younger longer well then, you'll play longer.

Such is the case with Justin Long. He's the underrated actor who was the Sci-Fi fan in Galaxy Quest, the awkward kid in Dodge Ball, and the smart but ill-at-ease High School kid with the best name on TV's Ed.

At 27 Long can still play High School kids (and he does), which is a testament not only to his looks, but also to his acting and comedic timing. And for anyone who felt like a fish-out-of-water when they were young, then Warren Cheswick, his ED character is your patron saint.

The strange thing is actors who usually play these types of roles are character actors. And, honestly, there's really nothing "character" about Long. He's a very handsome guy with acting chops that should allow him a wide range of roles; leading romantic roles at that. I'm convinced he could pull it off.

I look forward to seeing more of Justin Long, whether it's in features or television, comedies or drama. He's a talented actor who I am sure will work for a very long time.

For a sample of some of his work, check out this link for a very funny short, featuring the equally talented Sam Rockwell.